Resilient shoe sole



May 20,1969 HACK ET AL I 3,444,632

RESILIENT SHOE SOLE Filed Feb. 5. 1967 Sheet of 2 INVE TORS %25? fizz 2 v 14 fi q o May 20, 1969 N. HACK ETAL 3,444,632

RESILIENT SHOE SOLE Filed Feb. 5. 1967 Sheet 2 of 2 INVENTORS. #42 2477 fldax' United States Patent 3,444,632 RESILIENT SHOE SOLE Nathan Hack, Santa Monica, Calif., and Morton Hack, Detroit, Mich, assignors to Ripple Sole Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Feb. 3, 1967, Ser. No. 613,893 Int. Cl. A43b 13/04, 23/28 US. CI. 36-32 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A ground contacting element for shoes, boots and the like comprising a plurality of corrugated, undulating projections or ribs arranged along the lower or ground contacting side thereof, the ribs being provided to impart a cushioning and forward glide-imparting motion to the wearers feet during normal walking or running. The ribs have a downward heelward inclination and are of alternate height in two planes.

Cross-references to related patents This invention is generally related to the subject matter disclosed and claimed in Hack Patents Nos. 2,710,461, 2,833,057, 2,941,317, and pending application, Ser. No. 515,064, filed Dec. 20, 1965, now Patent No. 3,299,544.

Background of the invention The above referred to patents are directed toward shoe soles and heels which are constructed of resilient deformable materials such as rubber, flexible plastics, or other suitable compositions that may be molded into a shoe sole having a plurality of transversely arranged corrugalted ribs, undulations or projections extending downwardly from and formed integrally with an upper platform section that is adapted to be fixedly secured to the base portion of a shoe of virtually and type, either for men or for women, and either a light walking shoe or heavy-duty construction shoe. The corrugations or ribs are defined by rearwardly and downwardly inclined contact surfaces at their forward and rear faces which are arranged such that during forward walking or running, the ribs will yield downwardly and forwardly, resulting in a forward gliding movement being imparted to the foot of the wearer. The reason for this resides in the fact that the ribs are inclined olf center whereby any weight placed thereon causes the contact surfaces of each of the ribs to flex downwardly and rearwardly under such weight.

Although the shoe sole and heel constructions disclosed in all of the above mentioned patents have been considered to be a substantial advance in the art, the constructions shown in the first two of the aforementioned patents have been somewhat objectionable from the standpoint that when the rear end portions thereof are trimmed to accommodate particular sized shoes, frequently only a partial rib is left remaining at the rear ends of the heels or soles. This, of course, has been unsatisfactory since the rear ends of the soles or heels do not provide any appreciable area of ground contact for a firm stable support, and because the partial ribs are subjected to excessive wear.

The aforementiond Hack Patent No. 2,941,317 discloses a shoe heel which obviated some of the above problems through the provision of a heel plateau or platform at the rear end of a shoe heel, which plateau could be easily trimmed without adversely affecting the shape or resilient characteristics of the ribs; however, it was discovered that when shoe soles and heels were provided with plateaus of the above type, unless the thickness of the plateaus were of a predetermined height relative to the hight or thickness of the ribs, the plateaus tended to negate or at 3,444,632 Patented May 20, 1969 least minimize the desirable resilient and forward gliding action imparted to the wearers feet during normal walking or running. The shoe heel construction in the aforementioned pending application was developed to overcome the braking aotion created by the aforesaid heel plateaus through the provision of a heel plateau with a ground contacting surface which is disposed slightly above an imaginary plane along which the lower ends of the rib members terminated, with the result that the rib members engage or contact the ground or similar supporting surface momentarily before the ground engaging surface of the heel plateau.

The shoe sole construction of the present invention is still a further improvement over the original shoe sole construction incorporating the plurality of corrugated, undulating ribs and heel plateau. More particularly, the present invention is directed toward a shoe sole construction that comprises a plurality of transversely extending rib members which are constructed such that the lower end portions of alternate rib members terminate along two common imaginary planes that are vertically spaced from one another. That is, the even numbered rib members have their lower end portions terminating along a first common imaginary plane extending substantially parallel to the base of the associated shoe, while the odd numbered rib members have their lower end portions terminating along a second common imaginary plane which extends substantially parallel to the base of the shoe but is spaced slightly above the first referred to imaginary plane. With this construction, there is a considerable reduction in the quantity of resilient material required in the construction of the shoe sole and accordingly, a reduction in the attendant costs of manufacturing such shoe soles; however, more importantly, the resilient cushioning and gliding action imparted to the wearers feet has been found to be considerably improved over the similar action heretofore produced by the shoe sole constructions described in the aforementioned patents. The reason for this is that during normal walking or running, the longer even numbered rib members contact the ground or similar supporting surface slightly before the shorter odd numbered rib members, with the result that the longer rib members will flex comparatively freely until the shorter rib members engage the ground. The effect of the above construction is that the impact of the shoe soles cont-acting the ground is initially cuhioned to a coniderably greater degree than has heretofore been possible with similar type shoe sole constructions heretofore known and used. The shoe sole construction of the present invention further embodies a heel plateau having a ground contacting surface which is disposed along an imaginary plane which is spaced slightly above both of the first two mentioned imaginary planes, whereby the heel plateau will not act as a braking means to negate or minimize th desirable resilient cushioning and forward gliding action imparted to the wearers feet by the rib members.

Summary of the invention This invention relates generally to ground contacting elements for shoes, boots or the like. More particularly, this invention relates to a ground contacting element for shoes, boots and the like comprising a plurality of corrugated, undulating projections or ribs arranged along the lower or ground contacting side thereof, with the lower end portions of alternate projections terminating along imaginary planes that are spaced from one another, resulting in preselected projections being sequentially engaged and disengaged from the ground during normal running or walking to provide improved cushioning and forward glide imparting action to the feet of the wearer.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide a new and improved shoe sole construction which embodies the resilient and glide imparting features disclosed in the above described patents and pending application.

It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide a new and improved shoe sole construction of the above character wherein alternate rib members terminate along common imaginary planes which are spaced relative to one another, whereby to improve the foot cushioning characteristics of the sole construction and reduce the manufacturing costs thereof.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a shoe sole construction of the above character which may be combined with a heel plateau having the ground contacting surface which is spaced slightly above the said first two imaginary planes, whereby the resilient and glide imparting features of the shoe sole will not be adversely affected during normal walking or running.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved shoe sole construction of the above character wherein the ribs may be either straight or of an arcuate configuration, and which may be embodied in either a complete shoe sole, a front sole portion or tap, or in a shoe heel.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.

Brief description of the drawings FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a conventional shoe which is provided with a shoe sole construction embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a bottom elevational view of the shoe sole construction illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of a portion of the shoe sole construction of FIG- URE 1, as taken within the oval 3 thereof;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a conventional shoe which is provided with a partial shoe sole or shoe tap embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 5 is a bottom elevational view of the shoe tap construction illustrated in FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of a portion of the tap construction of FIGURE 4, as taken within the oval 6 thereof;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a conventional shoe which is provided with a shoe heel embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 8 is a bottom elevational view of the shoe heel construction illustrated in FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the shoe heel construction of FIGURE 7, as taken within the oval 9 thereof; and

FIGURE 10 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of a slightly modified embodiment of the heel plateau of the shoe sole construction shown in FIG- URE 1.

Detailed description of the invention For purposes of description, the term shoe sole" is used herein as connoting any ground contacting element for a conventional shoe, boot or the like. The term shoe tap, as used herein, connotes a ground contacting element adapted to be mounted on the forward end of a shoe, and the term shoe heel connotes a ground contacting element adapted to be mounted on the rear end of a shoe. Also, the terms forwardly, rearwardly and words with similar import will have reference to the shoe sole construction of the present invention as shown in FIGURE 1, with the forward end of said construction being located at the left side of this figure. Likewise, the terms inwardly, outwardly and derivatives thereof will have reference to the geometric center of the shoe sole construction embodying the principles of the present invention.

Referring now to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, a shoe sole construction 10, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, is shown in operative association with a conventional shoe, boot or the like, generally designated by the numeral 12. The heel construction 10 comprises a platform section or body 14 from which depend a plurality of transversely extending projections or ribs, generally designated 16, and a rear heel plateau 18. The rib members 16 and plateau 18 are integrally formed with the body 14 and are constructed of a resilient deformable material such as rubber, flexible plastic or other suitable composition. The sole 10 is adapted to be secured to the shoe 12 by any suitable means, for example, by a suitable adhesive, stitching, or by molding or vulcanizing the sole to the shoe base. The sole 10 may be constructed by any suitable molding or casting processes, as for example, by injection molding, extrusion and die cutting, or by other suitable techniques well known in the art.

As best seen in FIGURE 3, each of the rib members 16 is formed with a rearwardly and downwardly inclined or slanting front face portion 20 and with a rearwardly and downwardly inclined rear face portion 22. The face portions 20 and 22 of each of the rib members 16 are conjoined at their lower extremities by rounded, blended arcuate or radius portions 24. The rear face portions 22 and front face portions 20 of the adjacent rib members are conjoined by rounded, blended or arcuate or radius portions 26 adjacent the lower side of the body 14.

The heel plateau 18 is formed with a downwardly and rearwardly projecting front face portion 28, the lower end of which terminates at a generally horizontally disposed contact surface 30 which lies along an imaginary plane 32 extending substantially parallel to the base of the shoe 12. In a preferred construction of the shoe sole 10 of the present invention, the heel plateau 18 is preferably somewhat over-size when initially fabricated to allow for trimming to suit or accommodate the size or configuration of a particular shoe, boot or the like to which the sole 10 is to be attached, thereby enabling a single mold to produce shoe soles which may be used on several different sizes of shoes. For certain types of shoe application, the rear end of the contact surface may be slightly inclined upwardly, as illustrated at 30' in FIGURE 10.

In accordance with the principles of the present invention, a predetermined number of the rib members 16 have their lower end or radius portions 24 terminating at or lying along a first common imaginary plane which extends substantially parallel to the aforementioned imaginary plane 32, while the remaining rib members 16 have their lower end portions terminating at or lying along still another imaginary plane which extends substantially parallel to and is spaced from said last mentioned imaginary plane. In particular and as best illustrated in FIG- URE 3, the even numbered rib members 16 each have their lower end portions 24 lying along a common imaginary plane 34 which extends substantially parallel to the imaginary plane 32, Similarly, the odd numbered rib members 16 have their lower end portions 24 terimnating at or lying along another common imaginary plan 36 which extends substantially parallel to the imaginary plane 34, but which is spaced slightly therebelow. It will thus be seen that alternate rib members 16 have their lower end portions 24 lying along vertically spaced imaginary planes 34 and 36, and that the contact surface 30 of the heel plateau 18 lies along the plane 32 which is disposed slightly above the plane 34. With this construction, the sole 10 exhibits considerably improved cushioning characteristics without detracting from the intended forward glide imparting movement of the rib members 16, the sole 10 further providing for considerable savings in material due to the fact that alternate rib members 16 are somewhat shorter in length. More particularly, as the sole 10 initially engages the ground or similar supporting surface during normal walking or running, the longer rib members 16 will first contact the ground, and due to the fact that these rib members 16 comprise only approximately half of the total ribs 16 on the sole 10, said ri-b members 16 will provide less resistance to deformation, with the result that the shoe 12 will be cushioned to a considerably greater degree than has been possible where all of the rib members 16 engage the ground simultaneously. It will be noted that the improved cushioning characteristics provided by the longer rib members 16 is limited to a predesired amount by virtue of the fact that the rib members 16 whose lower end portions 24 lie along the plane 34 will engage the ground momentarily after the longer rib members 16 to resist further downward movement of the shoe 12 and thereby provide a firm and stable support therefor.

In a preferred construction of the present invention, the imaginary plane 32 and hence the contact surface 30 of the sole is spaced between and A3 of an inch above the imaginary plane 34 so that during normal walking or running, the rib members 16 whose lower ends lie along the lowermost plane 36 will contact the ground before the contact surface 30. Accordingly, the heel plateau 18 will not prevent the rib members 16 from imparting the resilient, forward gliding movement to the foot of the wearer, as hereina-bove described.

As best seen in FIGURE 2, the rib members 16 may extend transversely of the shoe 12, or alternatively, the rib members 16 may be curved transversely of the shoe 12 to prevent against side slip or sideway motion as the sole 10 makes contact with the ground during walking or running, as will be described in connection with the shoe tap and heel constructions shown in FIGURES 4 through 9.

Referring now to FIGURES 4 through 6, the principles of the present invention are shown embodied in a shoe tap 38 which is adapted to be secured by any suitable means to the forward end of a conventional shoe, boot or the like 40. The shoe tap 38 comprises a body 42 having a plurality of downwardly extending projections or rib members 44 integrally formed thereon. The rib members 44 are preferably identical in construction and operation to the aforedescribed rib members 16, i.e., alternate rib members 44 having their lower ends lying along an upper common imaginary plane 46 and a lower common imaginary plane 48, with the exception that the rib members 44 are curved transversely of the shoe 40 to provide against side slip or sideway motion as the tap 38 engages the ground. It will be seen from this construction that the advantages of the improved cushioning and savings in material of the present invention are readily adaptable for use in shoe taps which in themselves are desirable for many reasons, including ease in replacement independently of any other portion of the sole, and use of substantially smaller and less expensive molds.

Referring now to FIGURES 7 through 9, the principles of the present invention are shown embodied in a shoe heel 50* which is adapted to be mounted on a conventional shoe, boot or the like 52. The shoe heel 50 comprises a body section 54 having a plurality of downwardly depending projections or rib members 56 and a rear heel plateau 58, the latter of which is provided with a lower contact surface 60 that lies along an imaginary plane 62. With the exception that the rib members 44 are curved transversely of the shoe 40' to provide against side slip or sideways motion as the shoe heel 50 engages the ground, the heel 50 is of substantially the same construction as the rearmost portion of the above described shoe sole 10, i.e., the heel 50 is provided with alternate rib members 44 having their lower ends lying along an upper common imaginary plane 64 and a lower common imaginary plane 66. More particularly, each of the rib members 56 comprises a pair of arcuate portions 68 and 70 (see FIGURE 8), the portions 68 being arranged generally parallel to each other, as are the portions 70, whereby the portions 68 and 70 define a common longitudinal median line demarcing them in pairs of conjoined semi-projections, It may be noted that the portions 68, 70 may terminate short of the side edges of the heel 50 when desired and still provide the desired functioning of minimizing side slip or sideways motion. Also, the degree of curvation may be changed slightly, as can the rib members 44 of the shoe tap 38, but this curvature should not be changed to such an extent or degree as to negate the flexing and glide action which characterizes the rib members 56.

It will be seen from the foregoing description of the present invention that the applicant has provided a novel shoe sole construction which exhibits improved cushioning characteristics when used as a complete shoe sole, as shown in FIGURES 1 through 3, or when embodied in a shoe tap or shoe heel as shown in FIGURES 4 and 7. Moreover, the present invention provides a shoe sole construction which lends itself to a considerable savings in material as compared with the various constructions disclosed in the hereinbefore mentioned above Hack patents, and thus the present invention provides a shoe sole which is a considerable improvement over the prior art from the standpoint of economy of production.

While it will be apparent that the exemplary embodiment illustrated herein is well calculated to fulfill the objects above stated, it will be appreciated that the present invention is susceptible to modification, variation and change without departing from the proper scope or fair meaning of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a ground contacting element adapted to substantially cover the entire lower side of a shoe, boot or the like,

a resilient body adapted to be fixedly secured to the base of the shoe and comprising a series of substantially transversely extending downwardly and rearwardly inclined rib members,

each of said rib members having front and rear forwardly inclined face portions diverging upwardly and forming an arcuate juncture with said body, whereby when said rib members are engaged with a supporting surface, said rib members will flex forwardly under weight applied to the body and will impart a resilient forward gliding movement to the shoe,

each of said rib members also being of uniform cross section along the entire length thereof,

the lower ends of a first group of said rib members terminating along a first common imaginary plane extending substantially parallel to the base of the shoe,

the lower ends of a second group of rib members terminating along a second common imaginary plane extending substantially parallel to the base of the shoe and spaced below said first imaginary plane,

said rib members of said first and second groups being alternately arranged longitudinally of said body, whereby the alternate rib members of said second group engage the supporting surface momentarily before the rib members of said first group during normal walking or running.

2. A ground contacting element as defined in claim 1 which includes a heel plateau comprising a downwardly and rearwardly inclined forward surface and a lower contact surface which is located along an imaginary plane spaced upwardly from said first and second imaginary planes, whereby the lower ends of said rib members will engage the supporting surface prior to contact surface during normal walking or running to permit said flexing action of said rib members.

3. A ground contacting element as defined in claim 2 wherein said contact surface is inclined upwardly and rearwardly.

4. A ground contacting element as defined in claim 1 wherein said rib members curve transversely of the shoe along arcuate paths which are defined by a series of imaginary circles having their centers substantially longitudinally aligned with one another.

5. In a ground contacting heel adapted for mounting on the rearward end of the lower side of a shoe, boot or the like,

a resilient body adapted to be fixedly secured to the base of the shoe and comprising a series of substantially transversely extending downwardly and rearwardly inclined rib members,

each of said rib members having front and rear forwardly inclined face portions diverging upwardly and forming an arcuate juncture with said body, whereby when said rib members are engaged with a supporting surface, said rib members will flex forwardly under weight applied to the body and will impart a resilient forward gliding movement to the shoe,

each of said rib members also being of uniform cross section along the entire length thereof,

the lower ends of a first group of said rib members terminating along a first common imaginary plane extending substantially parallel to the base of the shoe,

the lower ends of a second group of said rib members terminating along a second common imaginary plane extending substantially parallel to the base of the shoe and spaced below said first imaginary plane,

said rib members of said first and second groups being alternately arranged longitudinally of said body, whereby the alternate rib members of said second group engage the supporting surface momentarily before the rib members of said first group during normal walkin or running,

said body including a heel plateau comprising a downwardly and rearwardly inclined forward surface and a lower contact surface which is located along an imaginary plane spaced upwardly from said first and second imaginary planes, whereby the lower ends of said rib members will engage the supporting surface prior to to contact surface during normal walking or running to permit said flexing action of said rib members.

6. A ground contacting heel as defined in claim wherein said contact surface is inclined upwardly and rearwardly.

7. In a ground contacting element adapted to be mounted on the sole portion of the lower side of a shoe, boot or the like,

a resilient body adapted to be fixedly secured to the base of the shoe and comprising a series of substantially transversely extending downwardly and rearwardly inclined rib members,

each of said rib members having front and rear forwardly inclined face portions diverging upwardly and forming an arcuate juncture with said body, whereby when said rib members are engaged with a supporting surface, said rib members will flex forwardly under weight applied to the body and will impart a resilient forward gliding movement to the shoe,

each of said rib members being of uniform cross section along the entire length thereof and curving transversely of the shoe along arcuate paths which are defined by a series of imaginary circles having their centers substantially longitudinally aligned with one another,

the lower ends of a first group of said rib members terminating along av first common imaginary plane extending substantially parallel to the base of the shoe,

the lower ends of a second group of said rib members terminating along a second common imaginary plane extending substantially parallel to the base of the shoe and spaced below said first imaginary plane,

said rib members of said first and second groups being alternately arranged longitudinally of said body,

whereby the alternate rib members of said second group engage the supporting surface momentarily before the rib members of said first group during normal walking or running.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,524,782 2/ 1925 Clarke 3632 X 1,541,234 6/1925 McKnight et a1. 3632 X 1,560,995 11/ 1925 Kaplan.

2,833,057 5/1958 Hack.

2,941,316 6/1960 Hack.

3,006,085 10/1961 Bingham.

3,061,952 11/1962 Prohasko.

3,299,544 1/ 1967 Hack.

ALFRED R. GUEST, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

